Mark 3:6-30

The alarms resound down the corridors of the west wing of the White House as Secret Service agents burst through the doors of the Presidential residence. With little more explanation than “Mr. President, you have to come with us!” In an instant three agents have secured the President and are evacuating him at an unbelievable rate. Behind him the screams of his family are muffled by the movements of other agents. His little terrier, caught up in the excitement of the moment, nips at the ankles of the fully armed Secret Service agents.
“ I demand to know what is going on!”, the President barks as the elevator doors to the Presidential bunker close. “Tell me now!”
The hesitant answer comes from nowhere and leaves the President reeling.
“Mr. President, we are under attack,” the senior officer responds.
“Who?” The president quips back, “China? Russia? Iran!?”
“No, sir. We will go into a briefing to let you know the extent of the attack, but at this point, sir, as far as we can tell, the United States Navy has launched a major attack against several major American cities along the east and west coast. Currently the Marines are headed towards the capitol to take you into custody. Mr. President, it’s a coup.”
This would be ludicrous! If the United States was attacked by the United States military, there would be no country left. Trust would be shattered, common purpose thwarted, all that made sense would be turned upside down.
This is the assertion that Jesus makes in Mark 3. “A house divided against itself, will not stand.” The accusation had come against Him that His supernatural healing, reviving, demon-banishing power had come from Satan and not from God. The religious leaders could not deny the super-natural, so they sought rather to rationalize it. Satan would not attack his own kingdom. Their disbelief had turned to illogical reasoning. Like Romans 1 says, “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
But this principle of self-destructive tendencies doesn’t just apply to the kingdom of Satan. No, believers today are subject to the same tragic friendly-fire. It may not be a full onslaught, but Christians, “in the defense of the truth,” attack other Christians. Whether it is over music preferences, secondary theological persuasions, Bible versions, or dress standards, God’s Navy turns its onslaught away from the enemy and trains its tomahawk missiles on God’s Army. In dog-eat-dog fashion that defies logic, Christians attack other Christians. May God save us from the Kingdom impeding self-destructive foolishness! May instead Christians, agreed or disagreed, press on in common purpose proclaiming the message of hope to those who lay in darkness.

Food For Thought: Why did the scribes say that Jesus had come from Satan? How can we falsely accuse other believers as “coming from Satan”?